Canadian Opera Company baritone wins coveted prize for outstanding young singers
Toronto, DATE – The Ontario Arts Foundation today announced baritone Adrian Kramer from the Canadian Opera Company’s (COC) Ensemble Studio as this year’s top recipient of the Christina and Louis Quilico Awards, valued at $5,000. Soprano Ileana Montalbetti won the second prize of $3,000 and tenor Christopher Enns won the third prize of $2,000. The awards recognize excellence in a vocal competition.
The winners were announced directly after the competition held in Toronto at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts last Wednesday, April 20 where members of the COC Ensemble Studio competed by singing arias in front of judges Alexander Neef, General Director of the COC, David Speers, Artistic Director of Opera Hamilton, and John Hess, Co-Artistic Director of Queen of Puddings Music Theatre.
An accomplished singer, Adrian has been heard in recital at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center and the Kennedy Center. Adrian appears with the COC as the Hotel Waiter in Death in Venice, Papageno in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute and the Wig Maker in Ariadne auf Naxos. He has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, the Castleton Festival, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Adrian holds a bachelor of music from the Juilliard School, a master’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and was the winner of the Juilliard Honors Recital Competition (2005).
The Christina and Louis Quilico Awards were established by Christina Petrowska Quilico in 2000 to honour her late husband, renowned baritone, Louis Quilico, and to recognize outstanding young singers, pianists and composers for voice. During his 45 years on the stage, Louis Quilico shared performing credits with Luciano Pavarotti, Pl·cido Domingo, José Carreras, Joan Sutherland and Renata Tebaldi. He was instrumental in furthering the careers of many young singers through his teaching and master classes. TheOntario Arts Foundation manages the endowment that funds the Christina and Louis Quilico Awards.
The Ontario Arts Foundation was established in 1991 as a public charitable foundation. The Foundation holds over 300 endowments totaling more than $56 million and pays out over $2.5 million annually in support of the arts in Ontario.
The COC Ensemble Studio is Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals and provides advanced instruction, hands-on experience, and career development opportunities. The Ensemble Studio is generously supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, RBC Financial Group, and other generous donors.
For information, please contact:
Alan Walker, Executive Director, Ontario Arts Foundation
Tel: (416) 969-7413